War and Love
by nrnik
Summary: AU. Neville Longbottom may be the Boy-Who-Lived. But is he the Chosen One? What will happen when a forlorn girl and a vengeful boy meet each other? Powerful Harry. Pairing: Harry/Ginny JK Rowling owns the Harry Potter universe.
1. Chapter 1

Ginny Weasley lay on her bed staring out the window. The first rays of sunlight were peeking through it. She had woken up from another nightmare. It was one of those usual sleepless nights. She hadn't had many peaceful nights in the last four years of her life. They were usually filled with nightmares, screams and tears. In every dreams, she visited the same place; the Chamber of Secrets; where it all started; where her innocence vanished and happiness expired.

It was her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, one of the most prestigious magic schools in the world. Her four brothers were students there when she started Hogwarts. Percy, Fred, George and Ron. Ron was in second year and also friends with Neville Longbottom, the Boy-Who-Lived and Hermione Granger, who was regarded as the smartest witch of Hogwarts.

Ginny stepped into the old castle with a lot of dreams. But it only took an year to get her dreams crushed. An ordinary looking diary was what destroyed her life; The diary of Tom Riddle, who later became Lord Voldemort.

It was Lucius Malfoy who placed that diary secretly among her books at Flourish and Blotts. She found it at Hogwarts and started writing in it. The diary replied her and it triggered a wave of horrible events and a fearsome year.

Through the diary, Tom Riddle possessed Ginny and made her let loose the monster in the Chamber of Secrets, a Basillisk. The terrible serpent almost caused deaths of nine students. It was only by luck no one was killed but only petrified. Later Neville along with Ron and Hermione found out the mystery behind the petrifications and approached the headmaster Albus Dumbledore. He, along with the golden trio and a few of the staff conducted a rescue mission to save Ginny who had been taken to Chamber and was being killed by Tom Riddle at the time. They killed the Basillisk and destroyed the diary.  
Though Ginny's involvement in the incident was to be kept a secret, it was not to be. A Slytherin girl caught the wind of the news and it travelled faster than light through the wizarding world.  
People called for her expulsion but Dumbledore didn't concede. The man who believes in second chances gave Ginny one as well; to diverge from the path of 'darkness'.

That was the turning point in Ginny's life who became notorious for almost causing death of her schoolmates. People looked at her with varying amounts of pity, anger or disgust. She nearly became an outcast even in her own house, Gryffindor. The teachers always eyed her with suspicion. Even her family gave her looks of disappointment too often.

She had begged her parents to enroll her at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic after the incident but they never relented. They along with Dumbledore chose to keep her at Hogwarts where her brothers and the teachers can keep an eye on her.

The next four years were eventful for the wizarding society. Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban, Triwizard tournament, Voldemort's return, Azkaban breakout, Battle at Ministry, Dementors' siding with Voldemort, the capture of supposedly dead Peter Pettigrew and the aquittal of Sirius were the most newsworthy ones. Following Voldemort's return, the wizarding Britain fell into chaos. Attacks against both wizards and muggles rised at an alarming rate. Dumbledore reformed his secret society, the Order of the Phoenix but they weren't making any headway.

Despite the pandemonium around her, Ginny's life was silent. People left her alone, both at school and home. She had no friends and none usually started a conversation with her except Luna Lovegood from Ravenclaw. Boys were oblivious to her despite she was one of the prettiest girls in Hogwarts. Her brothers, especially Ron, had their own adventures. Being the best mate of the Boy-Who-Lived was enough to feed Ron's ego but the Prefect and Quidditch Captain badges took him to another level of arrogance.

Ginny never tried to prove herself to anyone. With no one to hang out with, she concentrated in her studies which resulted in 10 OWLs with 5 Outstandings. But that were not much to impress her family or teachers, not that she minded.

In the first two years after the Chamber incident, she used to cry herself to sleep cursing her loneliness and longing for a friend. Books gave her company in days whereas terrifying dreams did that job in nights. Although nightmares gradually dwindled, she had scars to last a lifetime.  
She was no more her father's princess, her mother's baby or her brothers' little doll. She lost all those privileges four years ago because of her own stupidity. Now she had only some happy memories, her books and occasional nightmares to give her company.

The sound of alarm brought Ginny out of her thoughts. It was 11th August, her 16th birthday. Her mother was taking her to Diagon Alley for school shopping. Ginny got out of the bed and started getting ready to begin her day.

Miles away, in another part of the country, Harry Potter finished his morning run.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N : Thanks to all those who read and reviewed. Do check out my other story 'The Prince of Paxinia' as well.**

Harry Potter stretched his body after completing a heavy work out. The first rays of sunlight had just started to graze his lightly tanned skin. Today was 11th August, and he was looking forward to the shopping trip in Diagon Alley. This would be the second time for him in the primary shopping centre of magical Britain, as he had made a visit to Gringotts before filing his citizenship application at the ministry.

Harry was excited, for he was finally joining Hogwarts, the prestigious magical school where his mother graduated from. Lily Potter nee Evans was one of the brightest students in the Hogwarts' history. Harry chuckled recalling the facial expressions of the headmaster Albus Dumbledore and deputy headmistress Minerva McGonagall when they met him for the first time. Both of them were very much gladly surprised to have a Potter in the school after a long time. His grandfather Charlus Potter was the last Potter to graduate from there not considering his mother. They hadn't even known that Lily Evans married a Potter.

Obviously there were a lot of questions but Harry managed to satisfy the curious professors without revealing too much and he was admitted into the 7th year NEWT classes very quickly. His OWL results which proudly showcased Outstanding grades in 11 subjects played a big part in it as well.

Harry glanced around his surroundings. He was sitting on a stone bench off the Quidditch pitch on the grounds of Potter Manor. It had been hardly a month since he stepped onto the British soil for the first time. After a visit to Gringotts, he moved into the manor which had been sporting all the vestiges of years of desolation. Following a thorough cleaning and refurbishment by Harry and his two elvin friends, Boby and Ruby, the huge mansion regained its habitability and gave Harry a homey feeling that he hadn't enjoyed anywhere else before. Living in the large manor alone except the two loyal house elves put a damper on his happiness though he had been used to his loneliness for quite a while. He knew what was the large manor lacking; a family, a family which would turn a lifeless building into a lovely home.

Heaving a sigh, Harry thought about his family, which literally consisted only of himself now. The faces of his deceased parents and grandparents flashed through his mind. He didn't have any memories of his parents and grandmother as they left, in fact they were sent out, for another world quite early. He learned about them from the pensieve memories of his grandfather, Charlus Potter, and the old photos. Harry had memorised every small detail of the figures of his parents and grandparents to etch their images on his heart. Now, even his grandfather wasn't alive, thanks to a bunch of dark wizards or one in particular; Lord Voldemort, the self claimed Dark Lord. It was because of that megalomaniac he lost his family and he had been forced to live away from his ancestral home. And it was time for payback..

Staring out to the Quidditch pitch, Harry went through the things he had learned from his grandfather of this situation. Charlus Potter hadn't kept any secrets from Harry. He realised that his grandson should know the truths about his family if he had to take his studies and more importantly, life seriously.

All of it began in 1965, when Charlus was approached by Voldemort and his Death Eaters to recruit him to their cause. The Potter family was one of the oldest and richest pure-blood families of Europe and had held a bit of power in the Wizarding Britain, though they acted on it very rarely. Voldemort had been trying to bring old pure-blood families under his wing that time. Charlus flat out refused the offer but had to pay for that soon. His wife, Dorea was brutally murdered at Hogsmeade by the death eaters. The fact that she was the member of House of Black, a family loyal to him, didn't matter to Voldemort. It was followed by a string of attempts against Charlus himself along with occasional proposals to re-evaluate his decisions. The concern about his only son James prompted Charlus to leave Britain for at least a while. He fled to Spain. They lived in the small manor Potters owned in Sevilla. The fleeing from a fight was obviously out of character for the Potters but Charlus had nothing but the safety of his only son in his mind.

James went to Drumstrang School for Magic for two years but was withdrawn by his father for security reasons, much to his ire. James underwent home schooling since then and passed his NEWTs with good results. He was managing a bookshop in France under a false identity when he met Hogwarts graduate Lily Evans, who had come there to do a special project. They made an impression on each other in the first meeting and fell into a relationship that progressed quickly. James revealed his true identity to Lily and soon, they got married. They settled in a small cottage near Paris. Harry, who was born on 31st July 1980, made the little family complete and happier. But the following Halloween turned their lives upside down. Half a dozen Death Eaters led by Rudolphus Lestrange attacked the Potters cottage. James and Lily jumped into the fight whereas Charlus, who was visiting his family then, took Harry to the manor in Spain. Later, when he returned to check on James and Lily, he was greeted by the dead bodies of his son and daughter-in-law with a bunch of French aurors surrounding them.

That was the last straw for Charlus. He almost fell into depression but he knew he had to protect his grandson. He could not allow the same thing happen to Harry. So he raised Harry secretly with the help of Boby and Ruby.

Eventhough Voldemort was reported to be killed on the next Halloween, Charlus knew it might not be long before someone emerged to take the place Voldemort had left. So he wanted Harry to learn everything to be able to protect himself and others fighting the evil ones, a family trait of the Potters.

Harry was homeschooled. Charlus taught him everything he knew and hired a few private tutors as well. Harry had proved himself powerful and clever early in his childhood. His brilliance and studiousness enabled him to take the OWLs when he was only 13. His skills and thirst for knowledge never failed to astonish his tutors and examiners or any wizard or witch for that matter. Having performed a rarity, Charlus didn't want to bring any more attention to his grandson and needed to teach him more about magic. It was on that purpose he and Harry began a journey around the world to learn different kinds of magic and cultures.  
Having known about all the things happened to his family, Harry had developed a resolve to fight the evil wizards and protect the innocents. Hence he was eager to learn everything he could including the dark magic. He believed that it's not magic but the intentions that mattered. Saving a life even using dark magic is still a noble act. He roamed the globe with his grandfather for an year. America was their first destination. They spent five months learning from Red Indians and the battle mages there. Then they spent three months each in Japan, Russia and Australia. It was when they were in Australia, they heard about the incidents following Tri-Wizard Tournament and the rumours about Voldemort's return. Upon the insistence of Harry, Charlus cut short their journey and they came back to Spain which led to another disaster in Harry's life.

It was the day before Harry's 15th birthday, they were shopping in muggle France when the death eaters made a surprise attack. Apparently Harry and Charlus were the only wizards in the vicinity and they fought the death eaters fiercely. It was when Charlus went into a shop to rescue a group of children it was exploded leaving nothing but a heap of rubbles. Distracted, Harry didn't see a hex coming his way and took a cutting hex at shoulder. He was vastily outnumbered but didn't retreat. Soon the French aurors began to apparate in and Harry didn't want to reveal himself to them. Puting a complex invisibility charm on himself, he digged his battered grandfather out of the debris and apparated to the manor in Spain. But he was too late to save Charlus and found himself to be an orphan.  
Then and there, Harry took a vow to fight and kill every evil wizard he came across. However, he was under no illusion about his ability. He was aware that his current skills weren't enough to fight the evil corroding the world so he decided to resume the journey he cut short once. He knew he was not a child anymore. It was time to be man.

The next two years were a blur to Harry. He travelled to the different corners of the world seeking the knowledge. With the help of Gringotts and some strong glamour charms, he created an alias James Evans, a man in early twenties. He visited India, China, Egypt, South Africa, Greece, Brazil, Arabia and many others. Racing against time, he learned everything he could in two years and became a wizard in his own class. His knowledge in obscure branches of magic became unparalleled by anyone except perhaps Albus Dumbledore. His research went deep into the roots of ancient magic itself and paved new ways into the magical theory and fighting.

Harry's learning process wasn't limited to the world of magic. He found himself immersed in the learning of Martial Arts, Science and Technology as well.

The two years were dedicated not just for studies. Harry was in the thick of action himself. Assuming an anonymous individuality, he fought against the personifications of evil in many countries. The rising evil sorcerers Han Yan in China, Neil Harvey in Australia, Kapila in India and a dozen vampires in Bulgaria all had the misfortune of coming across Harry only to get incapacited permanently. Eventhough killing people was very much tormenting for Harry in early days, the mental images of the faceless victims of those vile people fuelled his determination and righteous anger.

The anonymous dark wizard executioner became widely known in Asia and Eastern Europe. No one knew him and only a few saw him. He was known in different names at different places and among different people. Many called him 'Shadow', a few called him 'Shadow Phoenix'. He was 'Dark Phoenix' to another few. 'Firestorm', 'Poison', 'Silent Death' and many other names were given to him. His unique travelling mode witnessed by a few earned him the name 'Inferno' as well. Some people called him simply the 'Executioner'. Many stories were spread about him but none could find his true identity. The only marks to identify him were the deep red and green robe with a golden phoenix and a silver basillisk etched upon it and the black mask he wore.

After a couple of restless years and adventurous journeys, he has now come to Britain; his family's homeland. It was time for vengeance. He wanted to be near Voldemort and know his enemy. Experiencing Hogwarts is a bonus. Not to mention there wasn't a better place to get informations he needed and be in the middle of action.

Watching the sun making its way over the hills in distance, Harry broke his train of thoughts and sauntered to the manor. Ruby will be waiting with the breakfast. It was going to be a busy day!


	3. Chapter 3

It was just before 10 am when Harry apparated to Diagon Alley. He appeared in front of Gringotts and took some moments to look around for any signs of danger. There was a fair crowd despite the threat of Voldemort still hanging around. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry, which didn't surprise him in the least. The young children, oblivious to the anxiety in their parents' eyes, took up as much time as they could to enjoy their shopping. A few aurors had been placed here and there and they were scanning the crowd for any suspicious looking activities. He could feel some tension in the atmosphere as he sauntered through the alley but he tried not to let it bother him.

Harry allowed himself to smile a little at the enthusiasm and amazement on the faces of a few children, who no doubt were starting Hogwarts or some other magic sbhool, while they inspected their wands, pets and other purchases excitedly. He could see parents struggling to keep some overexcited children from running over to the shops alone. For a moment Harry imagined how nice it would have been for him to come shopping with his parents like this. What could have he given up for small things in life, like recieving the prideful looks from his parents when he got the right wand! Granted there was his grandfather, but their relationship wasn't as close and free as he wanted to be. It was true that their situation didn't help either but there were times when Harry wished for normal childhood moments. Realising it was not the right time and place to dwell on his thoughts, he shook his head to clear the mind. It was not the time to wallow in self pity and think about what ifs..

Harry's first stop was Madam Malkin's to purchase the school robes. It was not so crowded and he had no difficulty to approach one of the young salesgirls there.

"Excuse me.."

The girl looked up. She was a blonde with blue eyes and a little older than Harry. She eyed him up and down and gave a sultry smile. "How can I help you handsome?"

Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the girl's antics. Harry knew he was not a bad looker, in fact he rated himself above average. He stood at 5' 11" and the years of martial arts and magical training had done nice work on his body. He was not overly bulky but was very well defined, being lean and muscular. The unruly black hair and piercing green eyes he inherited from his father and mother respectively did wonders to his facial features. His preference of muggle clothes to loose wizard robes, except his battle robe of course, which showed off his build also made him popular among girls. Even though he used to attract a lot of attention from the fairer sex wherever he visited, he never really showed any interest in anyone. That's not to say he didn't find any girl attractive but there was none who could make his heart beat faster or create butterflies in his stomach. The fact that he never stayed anywhere for more than three months in the last few years didn't help either. He was on a restless journey and didn't fancy starting a relationship that may not have any future. Many girls had tried to draw his attention towards them in evey possible ways but none hadn't managed to do that. And this salesgirl was defenitley not going to either.

Harry gave the girl a parchment with his measures. "I need five set of Hogwarts robes of these measures."

The girl looked unhappy for a moment for losing an oppurtunity to take Harry's measurements but quickly schooled her features to the earlier smile. "Of course."

Fifteen minutes later, Harry exited the shop with his robes and with a tap of his wand, he sent the shopping bags to Potter manor.

He needed textbooks next and decided to go to Flourish and Blotts which was next to Madam Malkin's. Harry opened the door and surveyed the bookshop for a moment. It was much more crowded than the clothing shop and he manoeuvred himself amidst the people to inside.

He wasn't being careful and just as he reached the section of charms, he collided with somebody coming from his right sending the books the person was carrying to the floor.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching." Harry immediately bent down and picked up the books that were scattered on the floor. One look at the books told him that all those were from the second-hand section. He felt stupid for damaging already worn out books because of his carelessness. Carefully picking the books up, he looked up at the person he collided with. His eyes travelled slowly upward as he straightened himself. It was a girl wearing a skirt and a blouse. He looked at her face and for the first time in his life, Harry Potter felt his breath was taken away by a girl as he came across the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. They were a deep chocolate brown with golden flecks spread on it. Harry stared at the eyes for a moment and found himself melting in that beauty.

"Excuse me, my books.." a soft musical voice brought Harry out of his stupor and he realised that the words came from the girl. He felt a little embarassed and he gave the books to her.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking around well." As he talked, he took a moment to observe the girl in front of him. She was around his age, maybe younger. She was five or six inches shorter than him and had pale creamy skin. Her most striking features were her eyes and the fiery red hair which shone like an evening sun. The hair looked so smooth and silky and for a moment, Harry wondered how it would be to run his fingers through it. He found himself staring at her again as the only adjective he was able to remember then escaped his lips before he could help it.

"Beautiful.."

Both his and the girl's eyes went wide at the same time and both blushed. The girl recovered quickly and looked around.

"Um, thanks for picking up the books." she said.

"Oh, no. Firstly, it's my fault I crashed into you. It's ok." Harry said quickly. The girl just nodded and briskly turned around to the direction of counter. Harry wanted to stop her and ask her name but before he could get himself to move, she had paid for the books and was moving to the door. She looked over her shoulder and found Harry watching her. Blushing, she turned around and quickly walked out.

It took Harry a few more moments to come to his senses. He was still gazing at the door through which the girl had disappeared. 'Get a grip Potter!', he chided himself mentally. Shutting out the thoughts about the girl for now, he proceeded to collect the books he needed. Since he was far beyond Hogwarts level in almost all subjects and studies were not his primary focus, he had only signed up for NEWT classes in Charms, Transifguration, DADA and Care of Magical Creatures. In addition to the text books, he picked up a few books on wards, healing and magical combat which were not present in the enormous Potter family library. He also picked up a book regarding the recent history of magical Britain. Though he had done his research on the events since the dawn of Voldemort, he thought the book might give him some extra information.

Half an hour later, Harry exited the bookshop 90 galleons poorer. As usual, he had sent the books home turning them into portkeys. Though it was illegal, nobody could trace him as it was masked. He decided to go to Eeylops Owl Emporium to buy some owl treats to his snowy owl Hedwig. The beautiful bird was a present from his grandfather for his 13th birthday. She was very loyal to Harry and he had taken her everywhere with him in his journey.

After buying owl treats and doing some window shopping Harry decided to have lunch in Leaky Cauldron. His school shopping had been over already since he didn't need anything other than robes and books. All other things like potion kit and quills, he already had at home. His plan was to visit Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, the famous joke shop, after lunch and do a little more window shopping. He had heard about the joke shop and its founders Fred and George Weasley. The Weasley twins' legendary exit from Hogwarts during the tenure of Dolores Umbridge had made an impression on Harry. They were often referred to as the next generation Marauders, the legendary pranksters' gang consisted of Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black and Frank Longbottom, the father of the Boy-Who-Lived, Neville Longbottom. Harry was not a great prankster but he enjoyed harmless pranks. His grandfather had told him that his father James was an avid prankster. He was really looking forward to visiting the Weasleys' jokeshop and meet the twin founders personally if possible.

Entering the Leaky Cauldron, he found an empty table in a corner and took a seat around it. After ordering lunch, he took a look around. Since it was lunch time, the pub was almost full and his table was the only one with vacant chairs. He found a few girls looking towards his side and quickly averted his gaze from them. He very much hoped that none would take the nearby chairs until his meal was over.

Harry was halfway through his lunch when approaching voices caught his attention. It seemed two feminine voices were sort of arguing lightly and he didn't look up.

"-but mum.. Can't we have lunch later?" Harry heard a teenage girl asking. It sounded very much familiar to him but he couldn't quite recognise the voice due to the noise around.

"No Ginny, we are going to have lunch now. We can visit Fred and George's shop after this.", her mother's voice sounded.

Fred and George? Ginny? Harry didn't have any difficulty to guess who the approaching women were. It must be Molly Weasley, the Weasley matriarch and Ginevra Weasley, the youngest one and the person infamous for the Chamber of Secrets incident.

He had heard of the Chamber incident of course. It was one of the events that caught his attention while going through the recent history. It was reported widely by the papers then and the girl was slandered for a few years after it. Eventhough Dumbledore gave a complete account of the events regarding the issue in Daily Prophet later, people didn't completely believe the story. Many people even called the girl 'Dark Lady'. Harry really had felt sorry for Ginny Weasley. He thought the girl must have been very brave and strong to fight the possession of such a powerful evil artefact created by Voldemort himself for such a long time. Any other person in her place would have been already dead before they knew it. He had also found it amusing that none knew, even Dumbledore, about the chamber and the basillisk. He didn't want to think what would have happened if the basillisk was let loose. Harry also had suspicions about the nature of the diary. He had read the explanation of Dumbledore about it many times and it looked vaguely similar to a certain magical item Harry had studied about. If you think about the mystery behind Voldemort's rebirth also, Harry was almost sure the diary was one... a Horcrux. It was the only way Harry knew about gaining immortality. If Voldemort had cheated death, he must have created Horcruxes. It was one of the things he needed information about. And Harry knew Dumbledore knew more about it than anyone beside Voldemort.

Harry was brought out of his line of thought by the sound of chair scraping before him. It was evident that the weasley women selected his table to have lunch on.

"Ginny, sit." Molly Weasley sounded very stern. For a moment, Harry wondered how was Ginny being treated by his family.

He decided to look up from his meal and was stunned by what he saw. The girl whom he met earlier at the bookshop was fidgeting near the char in front of him. Her beautiful brown orbs were watching him nervously and Harry knew she recognised him and was hesitant to sit in front of him.

Harry didn't know what to think. He thought fate must have been playing with himself for the infamous Ginny Weasley to be the first girl he was attracted to. He groaned internally at the thought of being attracted to her.

Ginny was still staring at Harry and he offered a small smile of encouragement as if to say 'I'm not harmful'. Apparently she got the message and took the seat. Harry glanced at Molly and found that she was looking around for the waiter. He returned his gaze toward Ginny and she was looking at him intently. He raised an eyebrow and she dropped her gaze blushing. He smiled and returned to his meal.

"Do you go to Hogwarts dear?" Harry looked up and saw Molly weasley watching him.

Harry swallowed his food. "Um, yeah.. Actually I'm joining this year for final year classes."

"Oh, transfer student then?" Molly asked.

"Homeschooled actually."

"My name is Molly Weasley and this is my daughter Ginny. She is starting her 6th year at Hogwarts." Molly introduced themselves.

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Weasley. And you too, Ginny. I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

"Hello." Ginny greeted him in a quiet voice.

Molly went onto say something but at that moment, the food for Weasleys arrived and Harry completed his meal. He payed the bill and stood up.

"Bye, Mrs. Weasley. See you at school then Ginny." he said.

Molly smiled at him. "Goodbye dear." Ginny nodded slightly. There was a pink tinge to her cheeks.

Harry smiled and walked towards the door. He was really looking forward to see Ginny at Hogwarts. He stepped out of pub. He had just closed the door behind him when he felt the air get cold slightly. Harry felt a sudden uneasiness and felt his happiness getting drained. He had enough experiences last year to know what that this meant.  
Dementors!

**Thanks yo all those who read and reviewed. Don't forget to check out 'The Prince of Paxinia' as well.**


	4. Chapter 4

Ginny stared at the spot Harry just vacated. She had been having a difficult time being near him. She didn't know why, but she hadn't felt so uncomfortable and self conscious around any boy her age. Of course she had been shy and embarrased around Neville Longbottom once. That was because like any other girl around her age, she also had a huge crush on the Boy-Who-Lived. She had been convinced that she would be Mrs. Ginevra Longbottom one day. Later, Ron went to Hogwarts and befriended Neville. Ginny couldn't believe that her brother was the best mate of the hero of wizarding world. She had been very much fascinated to hear Ron's account on their adventure about the Philosopher's Stone when he came home after his first year and her hero worship increased tenfold. But it was shortlived as the effigy of the noble and brave character she created in her mind crumbled before her in a few weeks time.

During the summer, Neville came and stayed at Burrow for two weeks. She had been too shy of him to be even in the same room with him first. But Neville, with his cocky attitude, chased her everywhere and started teasing her. Her brothers and parents found it very funny and didn't so much as say a word about it. At first, Ginny was so embarassed but it soon was replaced by sadness. He made fun of her mercilessly and occassionally it turned out to be downright humiliation. Ron always backed him up and her parents didn't care that much. In everyone's opinion, the Boy-Who-Lived could do nothing wrong. One or two times, his mockery brought her weasley temper out and it resulted in further humiliation. Her mother had yelled at her for being rude to a houseguest and her father supported her mother. No one was there to hear her side of the stories. Long lists of chores were the only things she gained. Ginny had cried herself to sleep on those nights and her dreamworld centered on the brown haired boy gradually collapsed. She realised that life is very much different from the stories.

When Ginny went to Hogwarts, she thought things would be different but it was turned into another disaster. She was ignored by all of her brothers and her second-hand clothes and books made her rich dormmates distance themselves from her. That lonliness was what led her to write in the blasted diary that destroyed her life. She wrote all about her dreams, frustrations and miseries in it. She trusted Tom Riddle with her secrets but was rewarded with a devastated life. She was thankful that the 'golden trio' came there with the teachers to rescue her from the Chamber of Secrets, not for her sake but the others'. But there were sometimes, she wished she was dead.

After the chamber started the hardest chapter of her life. Humiliations, disgusting looks, mocking comments and all were showered upon her in the later years. Her old self would have replied all of them with a barrage of hexes but the new Ginny could not. The new Ginny was a mere shadow of the old fiery witch. Her confidence had vanished and the fire in her had been burned out. Her spirit had been already killed by Riddle and all she could do was to draw into a corner and get out of others' paths.

Each day, Ginny shrinked more and more into her world. With no friends, teachers or even family to rely upon, she was as good as an outcast at both home and school. No one trusted her and she trusted no one.

Her reputation was what denied her a romantic life. She was pretty but boys in Hogwarts were oblivious to her or they pretended to be. Though she had a brief crush on a boy from Ravenclaw named Michael Corner it died out reaching nowhere. He wasn't even aware of her living and was pining after the Ravenclaw seeker Cho Chang. At the Yule Ball, while all her classmates spent the evening with their dates dancing, talking and snogging, she lay on her bed tears streaming down her cheeks. The permanent silencing charms placed over the curtains to prevent waking her dormmates from her frequent nightmares allowed no sound of her muffled sobs to escape.

Then Ginny decided not to dwell on it. She concentrated on her studies. She no longer craved for friends or boyfriends but just accepted her fate and continued living, or rather existing.

Now looking at the spot where Harry had just been, she couldn't help but sigh. He was the most handsome boy she had had the fortuned to meet. When he stared at her at the bookshop, a shiver had run through her body. His emerald green eyes were the most striking eyes she had ever seen. The intensity in them feared and thrilled her at the same time. It was why she quickly got out of the shop because she couldn't stand it. She had wanted to talk to him and ask his name but that feeling frightened her.

Throughout her shopping, her thoughts drifted to the black haired green eyed boy. She thought boy was not a word to describe him. He was a man, with an air of confidence and power, though his boyish features hadn't left him completely.

She had noticed him when she and her mother stepped into the Leaky Cauldron. His table was the only vacant one and her mother made a beeline for it. She knew she had no choice eventhough she tried to convince her mother to have lunch later unsuccesfully. When her mother introduced themselves, she had half expected him to regard her with a distasteful look. Everyone in Britain knew her, how couldn't they? She had been even called 'Dark Lady' for Merlin's sake! Many people in the pub had noticed her and were sending hostile looks her way already. But she saw no change in Harry's demeanour. If anything, his eyes became more tender and she thought she saw a hint of sympathy in them. That's what made her stare at him without even thinking her mother was nearby. When he said he was joining Hogwarts for 7th year, she was in turmoil. She wanted to get to know him and stay as far as possible from him at the same time. She didn't know what was going to happen.

Just as she started on her lunch, she felt a familiar chill go up through her spine. It was the same chill she occasionally felt during her second year in Hogwarts, dementors! The ghostly creatures had been placed everywhere in Hogwarts to catch Sirius Black that year. She never went to near them but she knew about the effects of the foul creatures. Your happiness being sucked out was not a great experience. They make you relive your worst memories and Ginny knew what hers could be. She had overheard Neville talking about remembering his parents' deaths when he was near them. He was even taught the Patronus charm by Professor Lupin that year to fight off the dementors. She had liked Lupin and even considered approaching him about learning the charm but her lack of self confidence discouraged her from it. By the time she managed to gather the courage, he had gone. She had heard the DA members were taught it in her 4th year but she wasn't a part of the rebel club.

Ginny looked around. No one was giving any sign that something affecting them. She was confused. Her mother also was having her lunch peacefully. Just as she was going to dismiss the cold feeling as a false notion, she felt it intensifying. When she looked up, the others had started to feel it too. The atmosphere started to darken a bit and she heard her mother whispering in a fearful voice, "dementors!".

What happened next was nothing short of a bedlam. The sounds of screams were raised from the other end of the alley and the darkness began to deepen. The people in the pub were trying frantically to apparate and floo out but neither was working. As people made a beeline for the entrance to the muggle London, to the shock of everyone, a group of people clad in black robes with silver masks came marching in. Death eaters!

Red beams of Cruciatus curse went flying in all directions. They hadn't started killing yet. A few people started fighting back but it was evident that the death eaters had upper hand by a large margin. The area was filled with agonising screams and wails. Ginny searched for her wand but before she could take it out, she felt somebody was dragging her outside. When she looked up, her mother was leading her outside with throwing curses at the death eaters at the same time.

How did they got outside, Ginny didn't know. But when she made it, she almost wished she didn't. The Diagon Alley was in shambles. A lot of shops and stalls were on fire and a few bodies were scattered on the pavement. The smell of blood made Ginny dizzy for a moment.

"Ginny, run to any safe place. We can't hold off them for much long. The Order will be coming soon." Her mother's voice resonated in her ear.

"But mum-"

"No Ginny, do as I say. Find the twins if you can. NOW!" Molly pushed her forward. Ginny started running deep into the alley. But as she progressed, the chill also increased, meaning the dementors were that side. She looked over her shoulder but couldn't see her mother anywhere. The fighting was going on every corner and she tried to sent stunners at the death eaters. But due to the distress, her spells had no aim or power as usual. Just as she was going to duck into a narrow street, she felt her blood go cold. She turned around and was treated with a terrifying sight. Two dementors were coming her way. There was no way to escape and she saw no one around to save her. Everyone was fighting.

Ginny felt her mind going overdrive. Her worst memories came flooding to her mind. The chamber, Tom, the basillisk and all replayed with the same sharpness. It felt like all happened yesterday. Ginny screamed, "NOOO..."

She fell to the ground and looked up. The dementors were fast approaching her to suck her soul out. She moaned, "P-Please, n-no.."

She knew this was it, her life story was ending there. A dementor was mere inches away. Just as the evil creature opened its mouth, Ginny saw a bright flash from her side. The dementors were thrown away from her by some force and she saw a golden figure attacking them. The unearthly screams of them echoed in the street and she felt a warm hand touching her. Through bleary eyes, she could make out a figure hovering above her.

"Are you alright?" A familiar voice filled with concern sounded.

She looked at her saviour. It was a man wearing deep red robes with deep green trim. On the front a golden phoenix and a silver basillisk were seen. He was wearing a black mask and through it, she could see his eyes; they were a familiar emerald green. There was no mistaking who her saviour was.

"H-Harry..?" Ginny managed to choke out before her vision went black. She didn't see her saviour's eyes go wide at her words.


	5. Chapter 5

Harry was already on the move when the screams broke out. He ran towards the side of the alley where the coldness was emanating from. He felt a sensation of powerful magic at work in the air and identified it as the anti-apparition and anti-disapparition wards. The dementors' effect had intensified as he ran and darkness was slowly blanketing the alley. Harry stumbled slightly as his worst memory, his grandfather's death started to play out in his mind induced by the dementors. He heard the explosion and the helpless screams of the mothers who lost their children two years ago in France like a faint whisper.

Squashing down the memories into a corner of his mind, Harry ducked into a dark corner of the alley. With a quick flick of his wrist, he had the familiar feeling of wood in his right palm. Though he wasn't a person who was really in need of a wand, the warmth of it always gave him an extra sense of security and power. The brownish black wand, made up of Holly mixed with Elder was a fine craft by an Egyptian wand maker. The fang of a basilisk served as the solid core while the mixture of phoenix tears and dragon blood constituted the liquid core. Intricate runes were carved on the wooden shaft and the bronze handle of the wand providing it with many additional features and protection. It was indestructible and impervious to the summoning charms among other properties that Harry still struggled to remember properly. The wand was attuned to only Harry making it impossible for anyone else to use it and was much more powerful than his former one.

With a quick wave of his wand, Harry found himself in his 'Shadow' attire as he liked to call it. He hadn't bothered to bring his former wand or sword today as he wasn't expecting an attack of a great margin. Now he didn't have the time to go and return with them.

'So much for wishing a peaceful day!' Harry thought bitterly and without waiting for another moment, he ran to the side where the dementors were apparently coming from.

But as soon as he reached the centre part of the alley, his heart almost sank. The Diagon Alley, which looked fresh and lovely when he visited just hours ago had been virtually destroyed in minutes. The buildings were either in shambles or on fire. He could make out numerous bodies littered on the ground through the creeping darkness. A fierce battle was going on amidst the destruction. The light streaks of various spells and large flames filled the air as they pierced through the darkness brought by the dementors. The people wearing black robes and silver masks, whom Harry identified as death eaters, were torturing some people while the demonic creatures were feasting on others. Agonising screams, shouting of spells and the maniacal laughter from the death eaters could be heard during the intervals of rocking explosions. A few people had managed to produce patronuses but they were definitely not a match to the overwhelming number of dementors which Harry assumed to be more than fifty. Though the people along with the few aurors were putting up a strong fight, the death eaters were rapidly gaining the upper hand. Many parents were trying to hide their kids behind them and the terrified looks on the children's faces shook Harry. His blood started to boil with fury.

Having made his observations in seconds, Harry was about to spring up to the action when his attention was attracted by the sounds of people portkeying in. When he turned, his gaze fell upon around a dozen death eaters who were coming towards him. His face broke into an evil smile. This was his first fight in Britain, the time to announce the arrival of 'Shadow' here. But his primary concern was dementors and waving his wand in a circle, Harry whispered, "Aureus Patronum." Four figures burst forth from the tip of his wand and stood around him. The ethereal figures of a stag, a doe, a phoenix and a giant basilisk, all which looked like made up of gold, awaited for their master's orders with all the elegance. The charm was a variant of the standard patronus charm Harry devised last year in his research to destroy the dementors.

"Kill the dementors." The words were barely out of Harry's mouth as the golden patronuses jumped into action. They started to pounce on the dementors and tear them apart. The unearthly screams and black smokes began to fill the air as the dementors were annihilated by Harry's patronuses. A few dementors, who understood the danger began to flee but Harry's guardians chased them all the way.

For a few moments, all the people in the alley including both the civilians and the death eaters forgot their battles and stood watching this amazing display of magic. As they watched, every eyes slowly turned to the source of this spectacle. And their gaze fell upon a man in red and gredn robes wearing a black mask.

Harry watched as various emotions crossed the faces of the people as they saw him. He saw confusion, fear and hope; and anger in the cases of death eaters. A few also expressed realisation. Hoping that his patronuses would take care of the dementors, he turned to his human enemies.

Most of the death eaters had now abandoned their previous fights and were looking at Harry. He could make out the fury and confusion in their eyes mixed with a pinch of fear. After all, there wasn't a known person who could produce golden patronuses and kill the dementors.

"Who are you?" One of the death eater who looked like the leader of the mission called out.

"That doesn't matter now. What matters is what I'm going to do about you." Harry said calmly.

Harry took their momentary confusion into his advantage and brought up his full body shield wandlessly. A faint golden shield covered him like a blanket. And before the death eaters could respond to his comment he whispered, "Ka Ryuu Multis." A variant of a japanese curse, the spell produced a few dozens of small dragons made up of blue fire. They jumped at the death eaters and began to burn out their flesh. It was a borderline dark spell and the beauty of the spell was that the curse can only be countered by a simple 'incendio' which no one will guess about.

The death eaters' screams joined with the dementors' and Harry let out a grim smile of satisfaction. They had no choice to attack Harry with their bodies burning. Many of them screamed the water charms frantically to no effect. The water was evaporating with the fire quickly. There were still quite a few of the death eaters left and they looked at Harry fearfully. Just as he was about to make a cheeky comment, a scream pierced his ears. It was a feminine voice and the total helplessness and horror Harry felt in that voice made his blood run cold. He knew what it caused and without so much as a glance to the death eaters, Harry dashed to the side where the scream came from.

He reached a narrow side street and found two dementors approaching a figure lying on the ground. With a mental command, the golden doe appeared in front of him and he directed it towards the soul sucking demons. The doe swatted away the dementors from the figure and pounced on them.

Harry ran forward and as he approached, he found the figure seemed to be a familiar one. Upon nearing the person, Harry's breath stopped for a moment as he saw Ginny Weasley lying there moaning. She was alive and Harry let out a sigh of relief. Harry immediately crouched over her.

He saw that her eyes were half open, and placing his hand gently on her arm, he asked with concern evident in his voice, "Are you alright?"

The girl's eyes focused on him for a moment before she whispered, "H-Harry?"

Harry's eyes widened but before he could do anything, Ginny passed out.

Harry looked at the unconscious girl lying before him. He was still puzzled at how she was able to identify him. He gave himself a once over. His attire didn't give away his identity; his mask had been not moved an inch from his face. That was when he remembered; his eyes! She must have recognised him from his eyes! But it still amazed him that she could recognise him just from his eyes. He remembered how she stared at him in Leaky Cauldron.

Nobody had had the chance to see himself so close before in his 'shadow' attire. Those who had seen never lived to tell the tale either. He hadn't had to rescue or do something else in this costume and he had been so perfect in his tasks that none was able to associate the famous 'Shadow Phoenix' with a mere teenage boy.

For the first time, Harry was at a loss for what to do. He thought about obliviating her but somewhere in his mind, a voice whispered not to. Thinking about it, he didn't want to memory charm a girl who had already been through a lot. Looking at her, Harry saw she was very pale and there were still the small traces of a horrified expression on her face having relived her worst memories. Harry figured this girl must have felt ten times worse than him being near the dementors and his anger come back with a vengeance.

Harry took a quick glance around. The street they were in was fortunately deserted now. Apart from Ginny, nobody had come here for shelter. He wondered why the death eaters didn't chase him when he ran here. He could make out the noises of battle from the main alley. Harry felt the anti-apparition wards being taken down and heard the sounds of apparition from the main alley.

After creating a protection bubble over Ginny, Harry rushed back to the main alley to find that it was the aurors and Order of the Phoenix members that arrived. The direction of the battle had been reversed and was coming to an end now. The death eaters were on the defensive now. Harry found that his golden patronuses were still attacking the few dementors those have been left. The Order along with the aurors were finishing the things off. But the bodies of the dead and wounded were still scattered on the ground amidst the debris and pools of blood. Cries, moans and shouts were still echoed through the street.

"Retreat!" Harry heard a death eater calling out and most of the battling death eaters grabbed the emergency portkeys and vanished from the scene. A few who had lost their portkeys amidst the battle were trying to apparate but the aurors raised to the occasion and put up immediate anti-disapparition jinx on them. Realising that the Order and the aurors had things under their control now, Harry turned to go back to Ginny. He saw Albus Dumbledore and Alastor Moody talking to each other a fair distance away. Moody's back was turned to him but he could imagine that magical eye spinning in all directions. Harry suddenly felt alarmed. Fortunately everyone was busy and no one had noticed him standing there yet. He didn't want to confront the Order or the aurors right now. Before anyone could spot him, Harry performed a complex invisibility charm on himself that would help him to evade even Moody's magical eye.

He returned to Ginny to check on her. He still debated internally over what to do about her. He couldn't risk her revealing his identity but he didn't want to mess with her memory either. There was only one thing he could think of doing but he would have to trust her to heed his request not to reveal him to the Order. Realising that he didn't have much time before someone spotted Ginny, he pointed his wand at her and muttered an incantation. A brief yellow glow indicated that the charm had been cast. The same moment, Harry felt someone approaching the alley and he took cancelled the protective bubble from Ginny. He turned to see Sirius Black making his way towards Ginny.

"Ginny!" Sirius yelled as he ran towards them.

Realising thay she is safe, Harry got up to leave. The former convict's surprised face at finding an unconscious Ginny was the last thing Harry saw before he apparated out of Diagon Alley.


	6. Chapter 6

"You are going to die, Ginevra!" Tom Riddle's cold voice reverberated through the darkness of the Chamber of Secrets. His handsome face was twisted into an evil smirk, his eyes burning with disgust and hatred.

Lying on the cold and dirty floor of the chamber, Ginny tried to cry out but no sound came out of her mouth. Tom laughed maniacally at her feeble attempt.

"Ow, did you have to tell me something?" Tom asked, removing the silencing charm he had placed on her. "I regret to tell you that we don't have much time though. Your time has come, young Ginevra. With your death, I will be back to my full power. Then I will kill that Longbottom boy, your old crush, you know. It will be too much fun, Don't you think? Too bad you can't witness it." He shook his head in mock pity.

Ginny could only watch him in horror with tears streaming from her eyes. She tried to talk but only a slight moan came out. She was getting more and more exhausted every second and could feel her life force slowly ebbing away from her.

"Do you feel that Ginevra? Death... It's beautiful, isn't it? There, you are going to embrace it," said Tom, kneeling beside her.  
"and the all powerful Lord Voldemort will be reborn again!"

Ginny could feel her eyes drifting shut but she tried to keep open them for as long as she could. Her eyes fell upon a small black book lying aside; Tom Riddle's diary. The sight of that vile object made her shudder. An intense sense of self loathing and shame passed through her. She wouldn't have been in this situation now if not for her stupidity. Her thoughts were interrupted by Tom's laugh.

"Goodbye, Ginevra. I think it's time for your departure."

Ginny squeezed her eyes and mouth shut, not ready to give Tom the satisfaction of witnessing her fear.

When Ginny opened her eyes again, after what seemed a lifetime, it was dark but she felt a sense of familiarity about the place. She didn't have any difficulty in recognising her bedroom at the Burrow through the darkness.

'Another nightmare..' Ginny thought as she sat up groggily on her bed. Her breath was coming in short gasps and she was covered in sweat from toe to head.

But before she could contemplate her situation, a bright yellow light flashed in front of her, startling the young witch. Ginny's first instinct was to reach out for her wand that she hoped to be lying somewhere near. However, before she could move, the light faded slightly and small letters in red began to appear in the light drawing her attention towards it. The letters hung in the air at her eye level with the yellow light serving as the background.

Getting over her initial shock, Ginny read the words,  
'**Ms. Weasley,  
Please don't reveal to anyone that it was me who saved you. I hope you are well and safe.  
Harry Potter**'.

The light and the letters faded away after a few seconds bringing the room back into its former darkness. For a moment, Ginny stared at the spot where the light had been in confusion. Then suddenly, memories of the day's events came flooding to her mind, the attack at Diagon Alley being the most prominent. She still remembered collapsing on the ground and the dementors approaching her eagerly. Then there was a golden light and Harry was leaning over her. Ginny wasn't quite sure how she had recognised him then. She had observed him for a small amount of time during the lunch at Leaky Cauldron. But the person who rescued her was nothing like the Harry she had encountered. But there was no doubt about the emerald green orbs that shone behind the mask.

As she went through the incidents, she thought about the message Harry sent her. It meant that Harry certainly didn't want her to tell anyone that it was him who saved her. She wondered why didn't obliviate her which would have been easier for him but was nonetheless thankful that he didn't. And she didn't have any qualms to decide not to reveal his identity; she owed him that.

Ginny moved to the bedside and swung her legs suppressing a shiver when her feet felt the cold floor of her bedroom. She found her wand that was lying on the bedstand and let out a relieved sigh. She still felt very tired and exhausted and had a half a mind to go back to the world of unconsciousness.

It was then Ginny opened her senses to her surroundings. She was alone in her room which was fine to her, although somewhere in her heart, she felt a pang of sorrow that no one bothered to sit with her till she woke up. Quickly pushing those thoughts away, she decided to go down.

Ginny trotted down the stairs to the living room. The wooden boards creaked beneath her feet breaking the unusual quietness in regular intervals. She couldn't help but be a bit anxious of the silent atmosphere. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she could make out the silhoutte of her sister-in-law, Fleur Weasley, and she let out a sigh of relief.

Fleur looked up from the book she was reading as Ginny entered the room and smiled faintly.

"Hello, Ginny. How are you feeling?"  
Fleur's voice was devoid of the former heavy French accent, an improvement which she owed a great deal to her husband Bill's coaching.

Ginny sat on a chair near the couch occupied by her sister-in-law. "Alright, I guess."

"Well, you look very tired. You nearly gave everyone a scare. It was Sirius who found you. They all are having an Order meeting now."

Ginny nodded in understanding and sighed. It was not a surprise of course. An Order meeting was usual after every death eater attack. Ginny had never been to one as she was not a member. Dumbledore admitted Ron, Neville, Hermione in their sixth year despite the loud protests of her mother and Professor Snape. It was one of the few times when Molly Weasley and Severus Snape shared the same opinion albeit for diffrent reasons.

Thinking of her family, Ginny couldn't help but be a little worried. "Is everyone okay?", she asked in a voice filled with concern.

"Of course Ginny. The fight was almost over by the time all of us reached there. Your mother had got some cuts here and there but they were healed quickly." Fleur assured her with a kind smile.

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief and gave the part-veela a tired smile. Fleur had always been nothing but nice to her. Though she used to a be a bit boastful earlier, her heart was in the right place.

"Do you like to have dinner now? They all will be late." Fleur's voice broke Ginny's thoughts and she looked up.

"Er, no. I'm not that much hungry. Suppose I will sleep a little more. Goodnight Fleur."

"Goodnight Ginny", Fleur replied.

Ginny stood up and began to make her way to her bedroom. But at that moment Fleur's musical voice called out to her, "Ginny.."

Ginny turned around and saw her sister-in-law walking towards her. As she neared Ginny, Fleur spoke up with a tint of hesitation.

"Um, I recently found out that today is your birthday. I know it's not an ideal one for you. But.. Happy Birthday, Ginny."

Ginny's eyes went glassy but she determinedly held back her tears, at least for now.

"Thank you, Fleur", she choked out and climbed the stairs faster than normal. Fleur's eyes remained on her sister-in-law till she disappeared from the sight.

Back in her bedroom, lying on her bed, Ginny finally let her tears fall. She pressed her face into the pillow hard and swallowed back the sobs those threatened to come out. It took some time but Ginny managed to get back the control of herself.

She lay on her back and closed her eyes. The fact that today was her birthday had never came to her mind after waking up. Though she never had a birthday celebration after the darkest year in her life, her family used to wish her a 'happy birthday', how much fake it might have been or not. But today, she was deprived of even that. Her family were not even there to see her wake up. Ginny let out a mirthless laugh thinking about her life. Her eyes, full of pain and tears, were still closed.

Once again, Ginny's mind went back to incidents of the day. And it always kept coming back to a certain person; Harry Potter. Ginny still didn't understand why a total stranger made the effort to save a worthless soul like her. She was almost like an outcast, even in her family and people usually tended to turn their faces away upon seeing her. But she had had a glimpse of genuine care in his green eyes when he saved her. She could never forget his words at Flourish and Blotts either. 'Beautiful', nobody had called her that in her life. But, Harry, who met her for the first time, called her that, or she thought so. He was the most handsome boy she had met and to be appreciated by him was a moment to cherish.

However, Ginny couldn't help but think that there was a huge mystery revolving around Harry. His different appearances and the message he left for her certainly pointed to that fact.

Waiting for the sleep and the subsequent nightmares, Ginny decided that she will keep Harry's secret, as long as it won't affect anyone. She owed her life to him and she could at least do that for him. He could have easily obliviated her but he didn't and it was one thing Ginny appreciated the most. She had a few questions to ask him and she hoped she would get the courage to do that when they meet at Hogwarts.

Harry Potter lay absently staring at the ceiling of his bedroom. The flames crackling in the large fireplace was the only source of light, creating large shadows on the floor and the walls.

Harry had been going over the events transpired that day for what seemed like hours. Though he had to admit that the attack in Diagon Alley was not entirely unexpected, Harry had never considered the possibility of wearing his battle robes so soon after his arrival to Britain. The fight managed to shake him a bit, although in a way somewhat different to the former ones.

This was not the most intense fight the young wizard had ever had but he was still tired. Although he wanted nothing but to sink into a deep slumber he couldn't help but replay the events of the day.

Harry went through the events again and again, but all of his thoughts kept coming back to the same thing, or rather, one particular person; Ginny Weasley. Thinking about the young witch whom he saved from the dementors a few hours ago, Harry couldn't help but be anxious; for multiple reasons as well. He was concerned about her health as she was deathly pale and unconscious the last time he saw her. But, he knew he also had other things to worry about. He still didn't completely understand what possessed him to take such a risk and leave Ginny only with a simple message, which owed its origin to an ancient chinese wizard. Many times Harry cursed himself for being so careless but somewhere back in his head, a small voice said that he couldn't have brought himself to obliviate her either.

It was not as if Harry knew Ginny Weasley until this unfortunate day except for the information he had acquired through his research. But the moment he made eye contact with her for the first time at Flourish and Blotts, something stirred his mind and he felt different. Though he knew nothing about her, his instinct told him she was unlike any other girl he had met and he had learned to trust his instincts. Harry wasn't among the easily trusting persons in the world but he had felt some kind of assurance about her and which influenced his decision on not obliviating Ginny. He knew that he was putting his anonymous but eventful life and future plans on stake but his heart gave his brain no choice in the matter.

Harry heaved a sigh and closed his eyes. He only hoped that he made the right decision in trusting a complete stranger with his most valuable secret as the sleep overtook him.


End file.
